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CONCACAF.comAustralia sinks Mexico at Futsal World Cup05/11/2012BANGKOK, Thailand - Mexico surrendered three goals in nine minutes midway through the second half and fell 3-1 to Australia on Monday, pushing it to the brink of elimination at the Futsal World Cup.
The loss left Mexico in last place in Group D with zero points, six behind group leader Italy and three back of both Argentina and Australia. Mexico has one game remaining on Thursday against the Italians.
Two teams from each group plus three third-place teams will advance to the second round.
Victor Quiroz gave Mexico the lead in the seventh minute, taking a short, rolled ball off a free kick from Francisco Cati and sending a sharp low shot past onrushing Australian keeper Peter Spathis.
But Tobias Seeto then rallied Australia in a span of 18 seconds. He first took a ball down the left side and from the edge of the area near the end line hit a high, hard shot that went over the outstretched arms of Mexican keeper Miguel Estrada in the 27th minute.
He then led a fast break along the left, and with Estrada coming off his line, chipped the ball from just outside the penalty area. The ball struck the crossbar, bounced down off Quiroz who was sprinting toward his own goal. It touched Australia's Aaron Cimitile, who was credited with the goal after his momentum had carried him over the line.
Gregory Giovenali completed the scoring with four minutes remaining, taking a touch from a back-heeled flick from Fernando and drilling a high shot from a meter outside the penalty area past Estrada.
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CONCACAF.comSpain topples Panama 8-3 at Futsal WC05/11/2012BANGKOK, Thailand - Spain scored twice in the first eight minutes and went on to an 8-3 victory over Panama on Monday at the Futsal World Cup.
The result put Panama in third place in Group B with three points, one behind Spain and Iran. The Central Americans will play their last group match on Thursday against Iran.
Miguel Lasso and Fernando Mena both hit the post within the first minute, but Kike volleyed a pass from the edge of the area in the second minute and Lin added another goal six minutes later to give Spain control.
Borja scored the first of two goals in the 11th and Aicardo had the first of his two three minutes later to stake Spain to a 4-0 advantage.
Panama finally replied in the 17th when Michael de Leon took goalkeeper Jaime Londono's long throw, let it bounce once and volleyed the ball from two meters outside the penalty area past Spanish keeper Cristian.
Outshooting Panama 50-34 - including 26-10 on goal, Spain increased its lead one second before halftime with another goal by Aicardo.
De Leon had a second in 33rd and Alquis Alvarado also scored for Panama, but that was more than matched by Borja's second in the 22nd, a penalty by Alemao in the 27th and Miguelin's tally in the 30th.
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CONCACAF.comRussia beats Guatemala 9-0 at Futsal WC06/11/2012BANGKOK, Thailand - Guatemala fell behind after 34 seconds and lost 9-0 to Russia at the Futsal World Cup on Tuesday, denting its hopes to reach the second round.
The result left Guatemala in third place in Group F with three points and a minus-6 goal difference, behind Russia and Colombia, which defeated the Solomon Island 11-3 earlier in the day.
Sergey Sergeev put Russia ahead with the first of his three goals as the European runner-up took a 4-0 lead within 11½ minutes.
Dmitri Prudnikov had a goal in each half, and Sergeev scored twice in the 16th minute as the Russians pushed their lead to 6-0 by halftime.
The win assured Russia of a berth in the knockout round, while Guatemala will face the winless Solomon Islands on Friday with a chance to advance.
The loss was the second worst by Guatemala at the Futsal World Cup, eclipsed only by a 29-2 defeat to Brazil in 2000.
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CONCACAF.comCosta Rica ousted from Futsal World Cup07/11/2012BANGKOK, Thailand - CONCACAF champion Costa Rica was eliminated from the Futsal World Cup on Wednesday, falling 6-1 to Ukraine.
The European side finished atop Group A with seven points and advanced to the second round while the Ticos were last with three points, behind host third-place Thailand on goal difference.
Ievgen Rogachov scored the first of his two goals in the seventh minute, and Oleksandr Sorokin added the first of his two second-half goals in the 23rd to stake Ukraine to a 4-0 lead.
Edwin Cubillo had his fourth goal of the tournament 12 seconds later - shooting through the legs of keeper Kyrylo Tsypun -- to give Costa Rica hope, but Maksym Pavlenko resumed the Ukrainians scoring in the 29th and Sorokin finished the one-sided victory in the 32nd.
The loss marks the third straight time Costa Rica has been eliminated in the first round of the Futsal World Cup, adding to its appearances in 1992 and 2000.
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CONCACAF.comMexico exits Futsal WC with third loss08/11/2012BANGKOK, Thailand - Mexico lost to Italy 5-2 Thursday, eliminated from the Futsal World Cup with a third straight defeat.
Morgan Plata scored a goal in each half, his second in the 34th minute to pull Mexico within 3-2, but Rodolfo Fortino tallied his second of the match less than a minute later and Luca Leggiero tacked on additional insurance in the 36th to send Italy to the second round with a third consecutive victory.
Italy outshot Mexico 61-15, 22-9 with chances on goal.
"We played well at the start of the match, with a good strategy," Mexico coach Ramon Raya said. Sometimes we lack experience but that's normal for a team like us. Unfortunately this is a sport that doesn't forgive any mistakes and we took too many risks when the score was 3-2."
Mexico becomes the second team from CONCACAF to be eliminated, joining confederation champion Costa Rica.
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CONCACAF.comPanama advances to Futsal WC second round08/11/2012BANGKOK, Thailand - Panama suffered a second-straight loss at the Futsal World Cup on Thursday, 4-3 to Iran, but still advanced to the second round.
Claudio Goodridge, Carlos Perez and Alquis Alvarado all scored for Panama, which finished in third place in Group B and assured itself of knockout round berth on the basis of having a better goal difference than the Czech Republic and more goals than Australia.
Goodridge equalized in the sixth minute after Ahmad Esmeilpour gave Iran the lead less than 2½ minutes earlier, but Afshin Kazemi and Mohammad Taheri put the Asian side ahead 3-1 by halftime.
Perez pulled Panama within a goal in the 35th by converting a penalty after a handball, but Taheri restored the two-goal advantage with under three minutes remaining. Alvarado again got Panama within a goal with 39 seconds remaining, however Iranian keeper Mostafa Nazari made a late save to preserve the victory.
"We didn't even dream about this, advancing to the next round in a World Cup in our first time of being here," Panama coach Agustin Campuzano said. "The chance of qualifying was a pressure my players did not expect to face, and that is why we were not up to our usual level."
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CONCACAF.comGuatemala eliminated from Futsal World Cup09/11/2012BANGKOK, Thailand - Guatemala surrendered an early lead and lost 4-3 to the Solomon Islands on Friday to be eliminated from the Futsal World Cup.
"Los Chapines" finished third in Group F with three points, but having been outscored 15-8 that left it behind Thailand, Japan Egypt and fellow CONCACAF side Panama for a berth in the second round.
Estuardo De Leon gave Guatemala the lead in the ninth minute from a corner, but the Solomon Islands equalized on George Stevenson's goal six minutes later.
The Pacific islanders went ahead in the 17th when Jeffery Bule poked a ball through the legs of Guatemalan keeper William Ramirez, who kept his side close by blocking Moffat Sikwaae's penalty just before halftime after Jose Gonzalez was ejected for denying the original scoring opportunity.
Alan Aguilar pulled Guatemala even less than two minutes after the start of the second half.
However, Micah Leaalafa put the Solomons ahead again in the 29th and the Oceania side sealed the victory when keeper Anthony Talo punted into an open net in the 36th after Carlos Merida had been inserted for Ramirez as a fifth attacker.
Walter Enriquez pulled Guatemala within 4-3 with 12 seconds remaining, but it was not enough to prevent the Solomon Islands from winning its first match in seven tries at the Futsal World Cup.
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